Frosting

There is no comparison to homemade frosting. I have bought, used, and eaten frosting in a can, but it’s not the same. I wouldn’t attempt frosting without an electric mixer, but a handheld mixer should work just as well as a stand mixer. Your arm might get tired, though. Frosting is also great because it is EASY. SOOO EASY! You can start with a recipe, but the amounts are all a little variable. It’s easy to add flavors or other ingredients, and still have a stable frosting. So, by “popular” demand (and my own memory)…

Directions:Blend together cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy, scraping down sides of bowl. Mix in vanilla. Gradually add in powdered sugar. <You could stop here for a plain old cream cheese frosting.> Check texture after two cups. If frosting seems spreadable, gradually add in Nutella. Beat for about a minute to fluff it up. After Nutella is added you may need to add more powdered sugar and/or a little milk to reach a thick, creamy, frosting consistency. I added almost another cup of powdered sugar after the Nutella.

VARIATIONS:
I didn’t do any of these, but it could be yummy!
-Before adding the powdered sugar, add about a half cup of unsweetened cocoa powder for a really chocolatey flavor.
-Instead of milk, add a couple tablespoons of Kahlua or other coffee liquor.
-Add finely chopped hazelnuts at the very end.
-Do they make hazelnut extract? If so, use that instead of vanilla. YUM.

I’ll be honest. I would make this frosting even if I had nothing to frost. One doesn’t need an excuse to consume anything when Nutella goodness is involved.

Here’s my favorite(so far) easy buttercream frosting. You can add different flavors or some cocoa powder and melted chocolate. You can usually fix a runny frosting by adding more powdered sugar, and fix a too-thick one with a little milk.